Catalyst 2013-08-29 on the Universe

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Special on the universe, examining some of the "Big Questions", including answers from some of the worlds top astrophysicists.

Should be on iView tomorrow. Probably repeated sometime over the next week.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/customuniverse/

[Larryp (Laurie)]

It was certainly interesting, Andrew

[acropolite (Phil)]

Caught the end of it, must watch on iView.

[naskies (Dave)]

Here's the iView link:

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/41929

[cfranks (Charles)]

My opinions only but once Paul Davis gets involved, weird SciFi is presented as fact! At a lecture many years ago he stated that if we join 2 Black Holes together we would produce a Wormhole and be able to travel through to another Universe At the tea break I told him I had never heard such rubbish! For some reason he seemed to lose interest in any further conversation!

Charles

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

I watched this and recorded it at the same time. Sometimes I know there is no chance of understanding some things on the first pass. Unfortunately, I could watch it every day for the next 10 years and still not be able to get my head around some of the ideas being discussed.

[Suzy]

Thanks Andrew, I'll be sure to catch this on i-view, can't wait!

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

I have just watched the show again. Most of the information covered is widely available in the public domain and the basic ideas are known to those with a passing interest. What the show did do well was interview a number of people who are leaders in their area of knowledge.

As mentioned during the show, some of the ideas discussed are little more than speculation. I doubt that I will ever fully understand the physics behind them.

Personally, the most unpalatable idea is that we are all part some superior alien's virtual reality simulation.

These programs always touch on the subject of initial origins. The whole topic is a minefield of opinions. At any point in history (up to and including the present), nobody can say with any certainty that they know the truth behind Life, the Universe and Everything.

[vivelavie (John)]

What is incredible is that Catalyst actually gave air time to Paul Davis. He should be classed a science fiction writer and not a serious thinker. What? The people in the future went back to the past so that they could exist? Hello, Dr Who producers, there is a storyline for you.
As soon as anybody suggest us being created by aliens (or people in the future), they are basically echoing religion. What is the differece between alien(s) and god(s)? Paul Davis thinks too much about the wonders of Man and their ability to exist into the far future, when the earth is dying at this point in time.